UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND 3OCIAL COUNCIL
PROVISIONAL
E/CN.I4/P/SR.5 (V) 13 February 19^3
Original: ENGLISH
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Fifth session
Leopoldville, February-March 19°3
COMMITTEE ON THE PROGRAMME OF WOBK AND PRIORITIES
.PROVISIONAL SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIFTH MEETING
held at the Palais de la Nation, Leoppldville on Wednesday, 13 February 1963, at 3s 25 p.m.
Acting Chairman;
Chairman; (later)
Secretary?
Mr. Gardiner (Executive Secretary of the Commission)
Mr. Doukkali (Morocco)
Mr. Chidzero
CONTENTS:
Opening of the meeting Election of officers
Opening Statement by the Executive Secretary
Discussion of Programme of Work and Priorities for I963-I964
Representatives wishing to have corrections made to this provisional summary record are requested to indicate them on a copy of the record and send them as soon as possible to the Translation Section? Palais de la Nation.
63-LEO/31
e/cn,14/p/sh. 5 (v)
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The ACTING CHAIRMAN pointed out that the representative of Congo
(Leopoldville) was unable to attend the meeting
Mr. RUGARABAMI (Tanganyika) withdrew his proposal.
Mr. Doukkali (Morocco) was elected Chairman.
Mr. Doukkali (Morocco) took the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN suggested that, since more representatives would "be arriving the following days the election of the two Vice-Chairmen be de ferred till the next meeting.
It was so decided.
OPENING STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
The EXECUTIVE SECRETARY emphasized that the programme of work in volved the allocation of limited resources of manpower and finance to help meet the vast needs of the newly-independent States of Africa. Moreover,
the Commission's recommendations would ht;ve to be assessed by. ECOSOC against the requests for action from the other three regional economic commissions, as well as the other demands made on the United Nations. The question of priorities was, therefore, of paramount importance, and care ful consideration was needed in the selection of the most urgent projects.
The form of presentation of the work programme had been adjusted to correspond to a recent reorganization of the Secretariat. Thus the great expansion of the Division of Industry, Transport and Natural Resources in
1962 had entailed a much heavier programme for l%2> and I964 than would
otherwise have been possible. Recommendations made by recent meetings on industry and natural resources and on housing had- been included in theProgramme of Work and Priorities (e/gN.14/230 and Corr.l).
The new Unit dealing with problems of public administration was at
present supported mainly by Technical Assistance funds, but it was hoped
to establish some posts on the ECA account in the following year.
Every effort had been made to bear in mind the close and vital
interrelationship between economic and social questions and to present a programme of work which exploited the different specialized skills ine/cn.14/p/sr.5 (v)
T -re *
the fields of Gcoromica and sociology without creating 2 srap "between th ■:.
With the expansion of the Secretariat it would be possible to un dertake an economic survey of Africa, which it was hoped could be comple ted in time for the seventh sssoion of EGA.
Tho work in the field, of trade had boon mainly geared to prepara
tion for the United Rations Conference on Trs.de and Development schedule:!
for I964.■Projects concerning the impact of Western European economic
groupings on African exports...might require co-operation with other regional aocuaiosiona and with the United tf&tlona Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
■ The joint EGA/FAQ Agriculture Division was carrying out a program-:;
of projects dealing with information on agricultural problems and the planning of agricultural development, on marketings on consumption and on assistance to-governments, Docurrient e/,CN. 14/230/Add, 1 contained new pro
jects on agricultural industries.
Since unexpected crises and changed circumstances wore always lilce-
ly to occur, as well as deficiencies in the recruitment of specialised staff, it would once again, be necessary to request that the Executive Secretary be given authority to exercise his own judgement as to priori
ties of action within the work programme,DISCUSSION 0.F PROGRAMME OF WORF AND PRIORITIES FOR I963-I964
'7.14/230 and Add. 1 and Corr.l)
The CHAIRMAN invited the Head of the Division of Industry, Trans port and Natural Resources to suggest a procedure for discussing the Programme of Work and Priorities for I963-I964.
Mr. STOTG (secretariat) said that the customary procedure was, for
members, to make any general comments they might wish to make on the intro
duction to the document (part A, Observations on the Programme of Work
and Priorities for 1963-1964)5 then the various sections and sub-sections
of the remainder (part B, Annotated List of Projects for 1963-1964), in
the order listed, were introduced by the appropriate members of the
sscretariat, and discussed; and finally a draft report, summarizing the
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Committee's conclusions, was prepared for approval.
■ The CEAIBMA1T, noting that no somber wished to make any genor;
comments on part A, invited the Committee tt consider part B.
B. Annotated List of Projects for 1963-19&A.
I. ' Economic and Social Development
The CKAIRMAil called upon Mr Patel, Chief of .the Drolopnrwit
and Policies Section of the Division of Sconomic and Social Development, to .introduce section I..Economic and Social Development, sub-secti,n 01, Genera.
' Aspects of Development Planning and policies.
Mr. PATEL (secretariat) described the projects listed in sub-
emotion 01.
The main aim of the new Division of Economic and Social Development was tc make a comprehensive stuiy of the various economic and social aspects
of African development; it hop.d that it would be possible to convene late in 1964, a working party of sexier economic planners from all African country
The CHAIR11AH pointed out that the secretariat required the Committ"' guidance to ensure that the JVogramme of ifork and Priorities reflected the wishes of all member states and he accordingly urged, any representatives who
had points to raisewould mate their views known.
Mr. YAK3E (Algeria) said that he considered the Programme of Work and tho Order of Priorities acceptable as it stood.
n'hor--- being no farther comments on sub-section 01, the GHAIEMAB called upon Mr Vilatosi, C,ief of the Social Affairs Section ef the Division
of Soonomio and Social Derelopment, te introduce sub-section 02, Social Trends, Problems and P^ieioB, and sub-section 03, Community Development and
Social Welfare.
Mr. VILAKA2I(secretariat) outlinod the various projects listed in
sub-sections 02 and 03 emphasizing the endeavour which had been made to into
nate the economic wit the social aspects of the questions involved.
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Mr, RIJGAKABAMU (Tanganyika) remarked that, when referring to sub-section 03-02, Study of the Applicability of Community Development Techniques to Urban Areas in Africa, Mr, Vilakazi seemed to have suggested that emphasis had hitherto been laid upon rural areas and that it was now . to be transferred to urban areas. In Tanganyika, however, attention had
been giv^n chiefly to urban areas and was only beginning to be extended to rural ones* no doubt practice varied from country to country.
Mr. VTLApZI (secretariat) explained that study of community : development-techniques- havo -so far boon-goaicd-to^rural-aroasy -and-.tho- pro posal was that consideration should now "be given to the applicability of those techniques to towns. Towns, however, were already receiving attention as well, and a study on Addis Ababa had been completed.
The CHAIRMAN pointed out that there was no question of urban areas being given a greater amount of attentions it was simply being proposed
that a study be made to ascertain how far techniques which had been worked out for rural areas might also be applied to urban ones.
There being no further comments on sub-sections 02 and 03, he suggested that, since a larger number of representatives would be able to attend the meeting the following days further consideration of the Programme of Work and Priorities be deferred till the next meeting.
It was so agreed.
The meeting roso at 4,40 p.m.
